Rep. Valoree Swanson

Maddy summaryHB 776 amends Texas law to define which school districts qualify for a state study of property values conducted by the comptroller. It specifies that an "eligible school district" must have had invalid local property values in the most recent study (without exceeding state values) and valid local values in the two prior studies. This change applies only to property value studies for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. The bill directly affects school districts participating in this state-comptroller study, altering eligibility criteria for inclusion.

Maddy summaryHB 818 adds mifepristone and misoprostol to Texas' Schedule IV controlled substances under the Texas Controlled Substances Act. However, it specifically exempts pregnant women from possession prohibitions for these medications, allowing them to legally possess mifepristone or misoprostol for their own use. The bill does not change medical prescribing rules but modifies criminal penalties for unauthorized possession. It takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to offenses committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 749 requires food service establishments in Texas serving shrimp imported from outside the U.S. to provide customers with a notice about the shrimp's origin. This notice must be displayed either on menus or in a visible area of the establishment. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, but businesses have until March 1, 2026, to comply. It directly affects restaurants and food venues serving imported shrimp, mandating transparency about the shrimp's import source without altering import regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 789 requires school districts to obtain written parental consent before school staff conduct psychological or psychiatric assessments, tests, or treatment for students. It applies to all school personnel, including contractors, and defines "mental health activities" broadly to include surveys, check-ins, or screenings disguised as academic exercises. Exceptions include mandated special education evaluations, safety recordings (like discipline footage), classroom instruction, and student safety programs. The bill also clarifies it does not override existing child counseling consent rules or mandatory child abuse reporting requirements. This law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 686 requires political committees to include specific disclosures in advertisements supporting five or more candidates who contributed to the committee for that support. The disclosure must list each candidate's name, state that contributions were made to secure the support, and identify any candidate who created the committee. Violating this requirement results in a civil penalty of up to $4,000. The law applies to political advertising published, distributed, or broadcast on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 695 requires building owners or managers at polling places and early voting locations to allow individuals engaged in electioneering (outside the restricted area) to use facility amenities like restrooms that are otherwise available to voters and election staff. The bill mandates that these individuals must not bring political signs or literature inside the restricted area and must cover or remove political logos before entering. The secretary of state must establish rules to enforce these requirements, including additional conditions as needed. This legislation takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 672 prohibits using political contributions (campaign money) to pay civil penalties or fines imposed by the Texas Ethics Commission. It amends the Texas Election Code to explicitly include this use of funds within existing prohibitions on campaign finance misuse. The law applies only to penalties or fines imposed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025, and does not affect fines issued before that date. This bill directly affects individuals or entities fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for ethics violations.

Maddy summaryBased solely on the provided context, the full text of HB 629 is unavailable (only a placeholder note states "This version is not currently available"). The bill's title indicates it relates to advanced placement (AP) courses offered by school districts, but no specific provisions, mechanisms, or affected parties are described in the given information. Without access to the bill's actual text or detailed summary, a factual summary of its policy changes cannot be generated. The bill is in early stages (filed November 2024, read first time March 2025, referred to Public Education).

Maddy summaryHB 730 standardizes the form parents or guardians use to claim vaccine exemptions for school-aged children in Texas. The bill requires the state health department to create a uniform affidavit form that includes a statement explaining the benefits and risks of both immunizations and remaining unvaccinated. It mandates the department to track how many times the form is accessed annually (without recording personal identities) and report this data to the legislature. This affects parents, guardians, or legal custodians seeking exemptions for children attending public or private schools, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 717 would protect public school employees in Texas from being prohibited from engaging in religious speech or prayer during work hours, unless a school district or government entity demonstrates a compelling state interest that requires the restriction and uses the least restrictive means possible. The bill specifically prohibits schools from infringing on this right except in narrowly defined circumstances, such as preventing disruption to school operations. This proposed law directly affects all public school employees (teachers, staff, etc.) in Texas school districts and charter schools, but it is still pending in committee and has not become law. The bill would take effect immediately if passed by a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers, otherwise on September 1, 2025.